I love summer time. The beach, the sun, vacations, all that. However, all good things must come to an end and the best consolation to me is the crispness of Fall. Even better than that, is the warm, comforting dishes that come with it. I would never make a stew or casserole in June but in October, it just hits the spot. Complex flavors and food that is slow cooked warms you from the inside out and on a chilly night, it helps you relax, unwind and get ready for the cold days ahead.
One of my favorite baked dinner dishes is Chicken Pot Pie. I’m not talking about the frozen brick you take home from the freezer section of the grocery store that has thousands of calories. Instead, I’m referring to a meal that can be made in under an hour (if you choose) and can be heated up for days.
I have two versions of my Chicken Pot Pie recipe. One, for a quick weekday night dinner in a flash and another, that I will tackle on a weekend and spend three to four hours on.
Depending on your culinary prowess, you can do one or the other. They both taste great and for most, I recommend starting with Recipe One (quick dish) and maybe, when feeling more ambitious, go for Recipe Two (longer version).
The basic elements are the same. The difference is how much “help” you accept from the grocery store. I love roasting chicken, seasoning it, basting it and developing those soft roasted vegetables that bathe in the chicken juices. However, for some, it’s a daunting step that just might take too long. Therefore, grocers are happy to roast hundreds of chickens a day and sell them for about $8 apiece, juicy and ready to go.
Same can be said for pie dough. On the holidays, the pre made pie dough that you can roll out go flying off the shelves, floured and ready to hit the casserole dish. For others, making dough from scratch provides a deep satisfaction and a flakey consistency that just can’t be replicated. It’s all a matter of TASTE.
So, of course, I am in LOVE with Recipe Two but I will be completely honest in saying that I have probably made Recipe One many more times. Sometimes, we just need a little help from our (grocer) friends. Both create a delicious meal that will be remembered. So, do what you feel you can handle, what time allows, and how tired you are from the day’s activities.
Chicken Pot Pie in a Snap
Rotisserie Chicken (removed from bone and chopped up, 1 inch dice)
Two Pre Made Pie Doughs
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup baby carrots (boiled and chopped, 1 inch dice)
1 Tablespoon Flour
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup parsley, fine chop
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large frying pan melt butter in olive oil on medium heat. Toss in onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Add carrots and frozen peas and heat until carrots begin to brown. Sprinkle in flour and mix so it forms a thin paste on all the veggies. Drop in the chicken stock and mix until veggies are swimming in a gravy like sauce. Add chicken and mix until combined. Add parsley and remove from heat to cool.
In a greased pie plate, lay one down down and add cooled chicken filling. Place other dough on top and crimp the top and bottom dough together along the edge. Brush egg wash over the dough for a shiny finish. Make a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape and pastry doesn’t get soggy.
Bake for 45 minutes or until top is a golden brown and filling is bubbly.
Chicken Pot Pie (Boy, I love you, version)
Roasted Chicken (removed from bone and chopped up, 1 inch dice) *recipe to follow
Biscuit Dough *recipe to follow
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup roasted onion
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup roasted carrots (chopped, 1 inch dice)
2 Tablespoon Flour
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup brandy
¼ cup parsley, fine chop
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large frying with reserved liquid from chicken road, add olive oil and butter. Toss in chicken, onions and carrots from roasting pan, add peas and combine. Sprinkle in flour and mix so it forms a thin paste. Pour in the chicken stock and brandy and mix until veggies are swimming in a gravy like sauce. Add parsley and remove from heat to cool.
Make the biscuit dough.
In a greased 9x13 glass pan, pour the chicken mixture in the bottom and spread until even. Drop the uncooked biscuits on the top in two uniform lines. Brush the biscuits with egg wash and cook until filling is cooked and biscuits are plumped and browned.
Biscuit Recipe
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, cubed
3/4 cup milk
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Cut butter into mixture until it begins to look like small peas.
Make a well with flour mixture and slowly add milk into the middle. Knead dough with your fingers and add milk when necessary. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to desired thickness. Cut with a glass or biscuit cutter.
Roasted Chicken with Vegetables
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into inch pieces
2 garlic heads tops cut off and rubbed with olive oil
2 lemons
1 large onion cut into 1 inch wedges
Salt and pepper, extra virgin olive oil
3 ½ lb whole chicken (preferably organic)
Sprig of Oregano and Thyme
1 cup white wine
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place carrots, garlic and onion in the bottom of roasting pan and cover with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Place chicken on top. Cut one lemon in half and stuff into bird cavity along with spices. Take other lemon, and squeeze all over outside of the bird. Rub another 3 tablespoons of olive oil on the outside of the bird as well.
Place in the oven for about an hour. Check on it every 15 minutes and baste it if skin looks dry. In the last 20 minutes, pour wine into the bottom of the pan.
Once done, take the chicken and veggies out and pour any remaining liquid into a clean frying pan. Add a little butter to this liquid and put over medium heat. This will be the base for your chicken pot pie filling.
